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At least 127 records · Page 7

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NASA NTRS1978

A depolarization and attenuation experiment using the COMSTAR and CTS satellites

Monthly statistical data are presented on ground rainfall rate and attenuation of satellite downlinks at 11.7 GHz, 19.04 GHz, and 28.56 GHz and on cross-polarization isolation at 11.7 GHz. Regression equations for relating isolation to attenuation, attenuation to rain rate, and attenuation at one frequency to attenuation at another frequency are also included. Longer-term statistics are also presented and discussed.

Bostian, C. W.↗

NASA NTRS1977

A method for measuring precipitation parameters and raindrop size distributions using radar reflectivity and optical extinction

A method of determining precipitation parameters from two remotely measurable quantities, the radar reflectivity factor and the optical extinction, is described. The raindrop size spectrum is approximated by a two-parameter exponential form; when these parameters are evaluated in terms of the radar reflectivity factor and the optical extinction, an exponential spectrum is obtained that is generally in very good agreement with the observed size spectrum. Other calculated precipitation parameters, such as rainfall rate and liquid water content, which are derived from the exponential approximation, also agree with experimental data. It is indicated that other combinations of two remote measurables can also be used to obtain more accurate estimates of precipitation parameters than can be obtained by the use of an empirical relationship.

Ulbrich, C. W.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Mesoanalysis of record Chicago rainstorm using radar, satellite, and rain-gage data

Comparison of cloud-top topography and rainfall rates at the surface revealed that the areas of heavy rain are located where there are depressions at the anvil top. It was also found that the Z-R relationships show a large scatter when vertical and/or horizontal air currents are strong. Results of this research led to Project NIMROD proposed to begin in May 1978.

Fujita, T. T.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Deep convection on day 261 of GATE

The structural features of the deep convection observed on September 18, 1974, day 261 of the GARP Atlantic Tropical Experiment (GATE), as the ridge axis of a 700 mb wave passed the center of the GATE B-scale network are reported. Satellite and aircraft maps indicate the presence of clouds penetrating above 2.5 km into the middle troposphere organized in bands about 9 km apart and aligned roughly along the direction of the wind shear in the cloud layer. Radar echoes corresponding to cumulus convection of lifetime, peak height and peak rainfall rates on the orders of 30 min, 6 km and 1.3 mm/h, respectively, were observed to triple in number density as convergence at 950 hPa increased from 1.5 to 3 x 10 to the -5th/sec. The structural features of the radar echoes indicate that the day was similar to a mesoscale precipitation feature of Leary and Houe (1979), with the cluster consisting of many echoes appearing in succession. Data from aircraft penetrations of the deep convection reveal downdrafts accompanying the precipitation and updrafts immediately to their south. Shipboard and rawinsonde observations show that the convective downdrafts brought down air of low pseudo-equivalent potential temperature, with local surface convergence of up to 0.001/sec. Mean wind shears through the cloud layer to the top of a main cloud layer are found to be only 75% greater than those of Malkus (1958) for the Caribbean, with shears just above the cloud base several factors larger.

Warner, C.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Tropical cyclone rainfall characteristics as determined from a satellite passive microwave radiometer

Data from the Nimbus 5 electrically scanning microwave radiometer (ESMR-5) were used to calculate latent heat release (LHR) and other rainfall parameters for over 70 satellite observations of 21 tropical cyclones during 1973, 1974, and 1975 in the tropical North Pacific Ocean. The results indicate that the ESMR-5 measurements can be useful in determining the rainfall characteristics of these storms and appear to be potentially useful in monitoring as well as predicting their intensity. The ESMR-5 derived total tropical cyclone rainfall estimates agree favorably with previous estimates for both the disturbance and typhoon stages. The mean typhoon rainfall rate (1.9 mm h/1) is approximately twice that of disturbances (1.1 mm h/1).

Rodgers, E. B.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Topical cyclone rainfall characteristics as determined from a satellite passive microwave radiometer

Data from the Nimbus-5 Electrically Scanning Microwave Radiometer (ESMR-5) were used to calculate latent heat release and other rainfall parameters for over 70 satellite observations of 21 tropical cyclones in the tropical North Pacific Ocean. The results indicate that the ESMR-5 measurements can be useful in determining the rainfall characteristics of these storms and appear to be potentially useful in monitoring as well as predicting their intensity. The ESMR-5 derived total tropical cyclone rainfall estimates agree favorably with previous estimates for both the disturbance and typhoon stages. The mean typhoon rainfall rate (1.9 mm h(-1)) is approximately twice that of disturbances (1.1 mm h(-1)).

Rodgers, E. B.↗

NASA NTRS1981

The CTS 11.7 GHz angle of arrival experiment

The objective of the experiment was to determine the statistical behavior of attenuation and angle of arrival on an Earth-space propagation path using the CTS 11.7 GHz beacon. Measurements performed from 1976 to 1978 form the data base for analysis. The statistics of the signal attenuation and phase variations due to atmospheric disturbances are presented. Rainfall rate distributions are also included to provide a link between the above effects on wave propagation and meteorological conditions.

Kwan, B. W.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Aerodynamic penalties of heavy rain on a landing aircraft

The aerodynamic penalties of very heavy rain on landing aircraft were investigated. Based on severity and frequency of occurrence, the rainfall rates of 100 mm/hr, 500 mm/hr, and 2000 mm/hr were designated, respectively, as heavy, severe, and incredible. The overall and local collection efficiencies of an aircraft encountering these rains were calculated. The analysis was based on raindrop trajectories in potential flow about an aircraft. All raindrops impinging on the aircraft are assumed to take on its speed. The momentum loss from the rain impact was later used in a landing simulation program. The local collection efficiency was used in estimating the aerodynamic roughness of an aircraft in heavy rain. The drag increase from this roughness was calculated. A number of landing simulations under a fixed stick assumption were done. Serious landing shortfalls were found for either momentum or drag penalties and especially large shortfalls for the combination of both. The latter shortfalls are comparable to those found for severe wind shear conditions.

Haines, P. A.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Adaptively pointing spaceborne radar for precipitation measurements

An auxiliary concept of adaptive pointing is presented as an aid to space-based measurements of precipitation using microwave radar. It is recommended that the instantaneous field of view (IFOV) be limited to cloudy regions of possible precipitation rather than scanning clear-sky areas of no interest. A microwave imager is proposed for scanning ahead of the satellite in order to identify areas of precipitation, and then an on-board antenna controller can reposition the scanning antenna to obtain reflectivities for use in rainfall-reflectivity relationships. The precursor beam could delineate the storm boundaries and determine points of peak intensity which can then be selectively sampled to find the rainfall rate distribution for the storm. The adaptive-beam system is suggested to be implementable using an IR sensor on-board geosynchronous satellites.

Atlas, D.↗

NASA NTRS1982

Remote sensing of atmospheric water content from Bhaskara SAMIR data

The 19.35 GHz and 22.235 GHz passive microwave radiometers (SAMIR) on board the Indian satellite Bhaskara have provided very useful data. From these data has been demonstrated the feasibility of deriving atmospheric and ocean surface parameters such as water vapor content, liquid water content, rainfall rate and ocean surface winds. Different approaches have been tried for deriving the atmospheric water content. The statistical and empirical methods have been used by others for the analysis of the Nimbus data. A simulation technique has been attempted for the first time for 19.35 GHz and 22.235 GHz radiometer data. The results obtained from three different methods are compared with radiosonde data. A case study of a tropical depression has been undertaken to demonstrate the capability of Bhaskara SAMIR data to show the variation of total water vapor and liquid water contents.

Gohil, B. S.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Inference of sea surface temperature, near surface wind, and atmospheric water by Fourier analysis of Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer data

The Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer measures thermal microwave emission from the earth in both polarizations at wavelengths of 0.8, 1.4, 1.7, 2.8 and 4.6 cm. Similar instruments were launched on Nimbus 7 and Seasat. Both spatial resolution on the earth and relative sensitivity to different geophysical parameters change with wavelength. Therefore, spatial Fourier components of geophysical parameters are inferred from the corresponding Fourier components of the radiometer measurements, taking into account the different dependence of signal-to-noise ratio on spatial frequency for each radiometer wavelength. The geophysical parameters are sea surface temperature, near-surface wind speed, integrated water vapor mass, integrated liquid water mass, and the product of rainfall rate with height of the rain layer. The capabilities and limitations of the inversion method are illustrated by means of data from the North Atlantic and from tropical storms.

Rosenkranz, P. W.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Satellite borne dual millimetric wave length radar

The failure of attempts to accurately measure precipitation by using a single quality that is used to deduce the desired precipitation parameter through a derived relationship is discussed. A number of dual measurement techniques for the accurate determination of instantaneous rainfall rates from space are proposed. It is concluded that dual measurement techniques show high promise for measuring precipitation parameters with greater accuracy than that which was possible in the past.

Lhermitte, R. M.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Bistatic radar meteorological satellite

A technique is discussed that employs a radar transmitter with a moderate size antenna placed in a geosynchronous orbit with either a 0 degree or a low inclination orbit. The reflected signals from the precipitation are then received either on a single beam from a satellite having a beamwidth of about 6 degrees or preferably with a beam that scans the U.S. in a raster pattern with about 0.9 degrees beamwidth. While it would seem that a bistatic system with the transmitter at synchronous altitude and the receivers near the surface would not be a very efficient way of designing a radar system, it is somewhat surprising that the required power and antenna sizes are not that great. Two factors make the meteorological application somewhat more attractive than the bistatic detection of point targets. First, the bistatic reflections of radar signals from precipitation are to a large extent omnidirectional, and while raindrops are spheriods rather than spheres, the relationship of the reflectivity of the rain to rainfall rate can be easily derived. The second reason is that the rain echo signal level is independent of range from a receive only radar, and if the bistatic system works at all, it will work at long ranges.

Nathanson, F. E.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Passive and active remote sensing of atmospheric precipitation

Both passive and active remote sensing of atmospheric precipitation are studied with the vector radiative transfer equations by making use of the Mie scattering phase functions and incorporating the raindrop-size distributions. For passive remote sensing, the Gaussian quadrature method is employed to solve for the brightness temperatures. For active remote sensing, an iterative approach carrying out to the second order in albedo is used to calculate for the bistatic coefficients, the backscattering cross sections/unit volume, and the interchannel cross talks. The calculated results are plotted as a function of rainfall rates and compared to various available experimental data. The theoretical model is easily applied to the remote sensing of aerosol particles, smoke, fog, and haze at infrared and visible frequencies.

Jin, Y. Q.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Assessment of the contribution of differential polarization to improved rainfall measurements

A measurement technique employing the differential reflectivity factor Z(DR) and the horizontal polarization reflectivity factor Z(H) is the basis of the present study of the effects of variations in the shape or breadth of the drop size distribution (DSD) on rainfall parameters. Theoretical expressions are derived for rainfall rate, liquid water content W, and median volume diameter D(O) in terms of Z(DR), Z(H), and size distribution-dependent factors. The latter calculations assume backscattering cross sections for oblate, nonoscillating raindrops falling in still air with equilibrium shapes. These expressions are used to quantitatively assess the effects of changes in DSD breadth on values of R, W, and D(O) deduced from Z(DR) and Z(H).

Ulbrich, C. W.↗

NASA NTRS1984

A summary of results from the first Nimbus 7 SMMR observations

Selected data obtained during the first year of operation of the scanning multichannel microwave radiometer (SMMR) on board the Nimbus 7 satellite (launched in late October 1978) have been used to calculate, on a global basis, various geophysical parameters over open oceans, polar regions, and terrain. Over open oceans these calculations have provided values for sea surface temperatures, near-surface winds, atmospheric water vapor in a column, and rainfall rates. In polar regions, sea ice concentration, multiyear ice fraction, and radiating temperatures have been obtained. Finally, the extent and water equivalence of snow cover over terrain have been calculated. These parameters have been compared with in situ measurements of the same geophysical parameters, where available, and the results of these comparisons are described. The self-consistency of the global displays of all the parameters is discussed along with the plans for archiving them for subsequent research purposes. A description of the SMMR calibration and data processing scheme is also given.

Gloersen, P.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Average diurnal variation of summer lightning over the Florida peninsula

Data derived from a large network of electric field mills are used to determine the average diurnal variation of lightning in a Florida seacoast environment. The variation at the NASA Kennedy Space Center and the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station area is compared with standard weather observations of thunder, and the variation of all discharges in this area is compared with the statistics of cloud-to-ground flashes over most of the South Florida peninsula and offshore waters. The results show average diurnal variations that are consistent with statistics of thunder start times and the times of maximum thunder frequency, but that the actual lightning tends to stop one to two hours before the recorded thunder. The variation is also consistent with previous determinations of the times of maximum rainfall and maximum rainfall rate.

Maier, L. M.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Simultaneous ocean cross-section and rainfall measurements from space with a nadir-pointing radar

A method to determine simultaneously the rainfall rate and the normalized backscattering cross section of the surface was evaluated. The method is based on the mirror reflected power, p sub m which corresponds to the portion of the incident power scattered from the surface to the precipitation, intercepted by the precipitation, and again returned to the surface where it is scattered a final time back to the antenna. Two approximations are obtained for P sub m depending on whether the field of view at the surface is either much greater or much less than the height of the reflection layer. Since the dependence of P sub m on the backscattering cross section of the surface differs in the two cases, two algorithms are given by which the path averaged rain rate and normalized cross section are deduced. The detectability of P sub m, the relative strength of other contributions to the return power arriving simultaneous with P sub m, and the validity of the approximations used in deriving P sub m are discussed.

Meneghini, R.↗